Bike commute from the Loop to Lincoln Park

by Michelle Stenzel

Map of the route shown on the video. Starting in
the Loop: Madison to Dearborn to Huron to Wells.

Last Friday was Chicago's Winter Bike to Work Day! Did you bike to work that day? Many people reading this post might not be bike commuters yet, due to fears of motor vehicle traffic on the streets, or just because it’s a great unknown. I spent many years only riding locally in the neighborhood, or to commute downtown, I rode on the Lakefront Trail to get to the edge of the Loop, and then I walked my bike the last block to work. The thought of riding down major arterials or in the central business district made me very nervous. In the years before I finally gathered the courage to ride on busy streets, it would have been nice to have a visual tour of what I could expect.

So, using my new handlebar-mounted video camera, I’ve filmed my bike commute home a number of times in the last few weeks and have posted one below. I chose this video because it’s pretty typical of my commute. It was taken on January 11, 2013, a Friday afternoon around 3:30 pm, on a cold (but above freezing) and overcast day. I begin my ride on Madison at Michigan Avenue and end the video just north of North and Wells, once I reach Lincoln Park. 

Note that I’m on bike lanes for every portion of this commute, except for the three blocks on Huron, which is designated on the Chicago Bike Map as being the “recommended bike route” to take from Dearborn to Wells.

My commute is about 18 minutes. I shortened the video to 13:23 by speeding up the parts where I’m waiting at a red light to 4x normal speed. I didn’t overlay any music because I wanted the viewer to hear the ambient noises. (Unfortunately, it makes the clips at red lights a little annoying!)
(More after the jump --->)

The Loop's first protected bike lane is open for business!

by Michelle Stenzel

You'll remember that in August, Mayor Emanuel announced publicly that Chicago would be getting its first two-way protected bike lane in the Loop on Dearborn, by the end of 2012. As the weeks and then months went by and there was no sign of it materializing, I began to lose hope, but suddenly, construction began. I've been stalking the new lane every opportunity I had while it was being installed, and I still can't believe it's done, but it is! 

It opened on Friday, December 14th, at a press conference hosted by Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein, and attended by Mayor Emanuel. I rode on the lane for the very first time on the way to the event, and was pleased to immediately be in the midst of five or six other riders heading the same way. It was like a little slice of Europe, right here in Chi-town:

Way more to be seen after the jump!  ---------->